A transceiver chip for mobile electronics applications is very complex. A customer may experience difficulties integrating the transceiver chip into their own platform. If a transceiver chip is implemented into a customer platform and does not work as intended, the transceiver chip can be tested for functionality.
Testing a transceiver chip can be costly because conventionally the only way a transceiver chip may be tested when integrated into a customer platform requires a field application engineer to be on site. The field application engineer must then use external equipment, measure the chip power supply levels, and read various product schematics, board layouts, and firmware variables to test the transceiver chip.
For a transceiver in normal operation, the near end transmitter transmits to a receiver at the other end of the link (another transceiver) and the far end chip transmits to a receiver in the near end chip. This is also how a transceiver chip is usually used when is integrated into someone's platform. When a fault is suspected, however, and a “self-test” is used for debug, the transmitter usually sends a test signal to its own receiver within the same chip. This will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional transceiver chip integrated into a device platform 100.
As illustrated in the figure, device platform 100 includes a transceiver chip 102. Transceiver chip 102 further includes a transmitting component 104 and a receiving component 106.
Transmitting component 104 is operable to accept a signal to be transmitted, via line 108, from other hardware components (not shown) of device platform 100 Transmitting component 104 is additionally operable to transmit the signal received via line 108.
Receiving component 106 is operable to receive a signal transmitted by transmitting component 104. Receiving component 106 is additionally operable to provide the received signal, via line 110, to other hardware components of device platform 100.
In operation, a user will integrate transceiver chip 102 into device platform 100. In addition to transceiver chip 102, platform 100 contains a plurality of other hardware components. During normal operation, transmitting component 104 would receive signals from one of the hardware components of device platform 100. Once received, via line 108, transmitting component 104 would then transmit the signals. Simultaneously, receiving component 106 would receive signals and transmit them to a hardware component of device platform 100, via line 110.
However, in this example, presume that transceiver chip 102 is not operating properly and no signals are received or transmitted by either of transmitting component 104 or receiving component 106. At this point, a field application engineer from the supplier of transceiver chip 102 must be physically present to test transceiver chip 102. In order to test transceiver chip 102, the field application engineer must connect external equipment to transceiver chip 102.
The external equipment is used to measure various aspects of transceiver chip 102 such as RF leakage and the voltage level of nodes within transmitting component 104 and receiving component 106. Additional external equipment must be used to read the various firmware variables and hardware registers to determine the state and settings of transceiver chip 102. Additionally, the field application engineer must evaluate the schematics and board layout of transceiver chip 102.
A field application engineer travelling to the location of a user with external equipment, and proceeding to test transceiver chip 102 is costly and time consuming. The testing process additionally increases the development time of device platform 100.
If a field application engineer is not able to be physical present to test transceiver chip 102, they must lead the user step by step through the process of testing transceiver chip 102 over the phone. Due to the external equipment needed, lack of user familiarity, and complexity of transceiver chip 102, a field application engineer guiding a user through the process of testing transceiver chip 102 is a costly and time consuming process.
Once transceiver chip 102 is successfully tested, it may be integrated minto device platform 100. After being integrated into device platform 100, transceiver chip 102 begins operating normally as described above.
A problem with conventional transceiver chips is that the process of testing after integration into a user platform requires a field application engineer to either be physically present or guide a user the process step by step. Due to the required external equipment and complexity of conventional transceiver chips, the process of testing is costly and time consuming. Additionally, the testing process increases the development time of the user platform that integrated the transceiver chip.
What is needed is a system and method for testing a transceiver chip without the presence of a field application engineer or use of external equipment.